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+--- Thread: The Ghost and the Fountain (/showthread.php?tid=508)
The Ghost and the Fountain - Sarah_Kerrigan - 09-01-2014
They are like tremors: thoughts in the dark spanning onwards into an everlasting nothing. Sarah could feel it. All the deadness in the air, the stillness and emptiness within the vacuum of unconsciousness. She tried desperately to cry out and to focus – clear her mind – in case (this wasn’t a dream) she awoke disoriented and in the middle of hard place she did not want to be. Although as it happened, instead she blinked somewhere she did not expect. Somewhere she had never seen before, nor even heard whispers about in the minds of others. With that thought and in that moment it occurred to her, here it was quiet. Silent.
Even in sleep she could feel emotions, words and thoughts of others. Other creatures, beings, humanoid aliens and what have you. But here, nothing. The Dark and the Silence persisted and did not change in the least. Not for minutes, hours nor days? No, that didn’t seem right. Muddled and weary she attempted to open her eyes. Right then, she immediately wished she hadn’t. Everything became white and blank like some canvas upon which a painting would one day take shape. After a few seconds that as well faded and the Dark became prevalent once more. With a step, she tested the ground. Her leg quivered, perhaps from fatigue but currently she had no way of knowing. She strode forward again and again. The footsteps did not echo, but she hardly noticed.
Solid ground, the Ghost thought. Becoming still she lowered a hand, placing a palm flat on the surface while she knelt upon one knee. Again, she felt nothing. No psionic vibrations, no movement, no warmth, no light, no heat and no cold – as though a black-hole had swallowed up the entirety of the universe. A plain void in existence that certainly had not come up in the report. This can’t be possible. Intel indicated this world contained primitive life signs - architecture a murky habitat. Why is – wait . . . what is that? A shadow? That is what it seemed from so far away. Her hand filtered down pulling her psi-visor with it. Blank. It’s nothing. Reaching up she slid the screen up again locking it in place. But, there was something – someone. She could see them. On her feet again she walked.
The distance remained, but the Shadow grew. It grew and formed into a silhouette, a person that was not all there. However, at the same time dominated everything. The introduction boomed – not just aloud but in her mind as well. Please . . . listen not so loud! Sarah shouted in her mind pleading across the psionic field. No response nor any indication she had been heard at all, and still the voice spoke and bored its way into her. Suddenly the figure was before her and it shimmered, glimmering into existence in a flash. Blinking from one spot to the next and offering an extended hand where an orb rested floating perpetually.
Its colors dazzled her, and still she took it holding it up in her hands, cupping them together as though one hand could not sufficiently hold its breadth. That couldn’t be true. It hovered. But even without the touch of it, the pressure and power it put off shook her to the very core. It echoed into every receptor of her body; whispering sweet nothings into her mind – calling out to her. She nodded to Omni, not realizing at first the ramifications of the gesture. Thereafter the White eclipsed everything. For a long while that was all there was to every sense at her disposal.
But, after some time the trickling flow of water ran on and on. Without orders, and a cause she may have been lost. However, Sarah knew one thing well enough: how to survive. For the moment nothing else mattered. Everything else was expendable. I kill, she told herself. That constant was enough to keep her moving, stepping closer and closer to the sound of rushing water. It would not be long before the source became apparent. Up ahead rested a fountain and from it sprung water eternal. It had no visible source just forever formed over and over again. Her temples throbbed and she couldn’t think. At least today there were no voices – no thoughts of others she had to actively shield against reading. For a short while there would be freedom. Then though, something would break and click into place and she would have her new objectives.
For now, the Ghost sighed and sat resting against the Fountain in the vast White.She parted her legs slightly and interlocked one hand to an arm crossing them both atop and in front of herself.
Omni, she contemplated, just what – what are you . . . ? Omni had asked what she desired most, but in truth her wants and needs up until a few moments ago had never mattered. They unleashed me, and they didn’t care. I murdered for them and they didn’t care. But, they always gave me a direction. Where do I go from here? It had been awhile since she had felt much of anything, but now everything came flooding back. The loneliness, the fear, the pain and the regret. To all of the White she projected these feelings telepathically never once caring to dampening the radius. And there was hate too, a deep-rooted hatred for no apparent reason at all.
Ghost 24601 present location: The Nexus.
Re: The Ghost and the Fountain - Sarah_Kerrigan - 09-05-2014
Footsteps came from the West. They were loud and many in number; a standard march with an orderly pattern to them: left right and left right, conditioned and trained. The footfalls sent minute vibrations up into the ground. The White span shook lightly, but the Fountain was oddly unaffected. However even though heard, they still were only in the far off distance. Kilometers away and perhaps even further than that. Whatever Company they happened to be could only be heard simply because they were numerous. When Sarah turned tilting her head in their direction, the long locks of her scarlet hair parted across her face and trailed down a shoulder. She rose a hand up shifting her bangs parting them to the left and also to the right. Then glancing down she examined her environmental suit.
Although she did not wear the mask, the armor itself still seemed to function. It contained her entire body in silver-gray hues, with certain parts: like her arms and her biceps lit in a faint blue that glowed and left brief flickers of light upon her fair skin. This indicated that it still possessed power, but without the rest of her equipment, it in itself was relatively useless. Like an odd manner of sci-fi-clothing – pretty to look at but not good for much else than its ascetic value. It said: ‘I come from a World filled with complex oddities and technology that some can scarcely understand – at least to the denizens of the Omniverse.
She trailed her hands down her thighs searching for anything that survived the transition to use as a weapon. Nothing. Then she checked her Psi-Blade emitter; energy status equaled drained. Her rifle she had dropped some unknown time ago, on a planet she couldn’t recall, so that option got crossed out as well. A fog shrouded that memory, but only unlike the others it drew upon no feeling in the least. The actions she could take were slowly dwindling. If the Company presented itself as hostile, she would have little in the way of a defense to mount. Her eyes narrowed and her expression tensed. This isn’t good . . . I don’t know what I should do. For the first time since she had become a Ghost, she felt helpless and exposed – naked to the possibilities that were swiftly baring down on her.
With her suit’s reserves drained she couldn’t cloak either. In this instance there would be no hiding to strike when they were weakest. Rapidly examining the terrain (there was much of it but the White) Sarah hoped in vain for more cover than this Fountain (if that was even what it was it seemed wrong in a sense and never stagnate it flowed and changed just like something alive), but she could find none. Her back arched against it, and leaning she peeked around from the edge upon whence she rested. Squinting she could make out only more and more of the White. But, the echo of step unto step would not be denied. Whomever they were, they were real and they were approaching quicker than she had first assumed. She briefly wondered if she had somehow drifted away for moments, perhaps minutes at a time since she arrived here. However, no one could answer that for her. It certainly was possible. She hadn’t felt like herself since Omni had dug through her mind. Yet, she couldn’t know for sure. Time seemed distorted here and wrong.
Left with no other choice - more out of desperation than anything else – Sarah pressed the communicator linked to her right ear. Quietly but firmly she spoke: “This is Kerrigan, is anyone out there?” Static on the other end. It did burn her fingers though, so she swiftly slid them off the device. She cursed under her breath. They were drawing near, lessening the chances of escape to about nil now. After all, where was there to run? She turned back and knew something loomed in the far off ways. However, those paths were right in plain sight of the Company. Without the capability to cloak, slipping by would be next to impossible. If she had the strength she could provide a distraction, but even her brain felt tired.
It throbbed; thump-thump it went with the steps as they trekked on and on. Still slumped against the Fountain in the middle of the White, Sarah sighed. There was a tightness in her chest as she did so making it hard to breath. Wherever she happened to be in the Omniverse, the place was definitely playing head games with her. Maybe that was Omni’s intent from the beginning, lining up some trap, lying about the true nature of the creation all around her. Is this all there is? Again she wondered, now sweat trailed down her cheeks – down her neck and matted up against her thighs within her hazard suit. Strangely enough, she longed to at least have the comfort of her rifle in her hand – even a knife would do – but it was now too late for that.
Before she thought anymore, she saw them: a Company of White. There were no faces among them and from head to toe their armor glistened matching the very nature of the all-around. Only one more distinguishable than the others; he or she had stripes running down his or her helmet. They fanned out surrounding the Fountain as though this was routine procedure, a patrol at the end of the shift that suddenly turned interesting. Sarah looked at them and they looked at her. Although, she couldn’t see their eyes it certainly felt like all eyes were on her. Slowly she got up on one knee, keeping a palm on the ground to balance herself. Thereafter, stood upright facing them with a face of stone. Then she noticed their rifles and a shiver ran down her spine, tickling the back of her neck rather unpleasantly. Resisting her baser instinct, she did not probe their thoughts.
Now would be an excellent time for some backup, she thought unaware that she was still projecting and if anyone in present Company happened to be listening closely they would surely pick up on it. Like a whisper from across the room, barely heard but still something. And something muttering sweet nothings into a mind is hardly ever welcome. For a moment she watched stunned as the Commander slid his helmet off. The rest stood blankly at attention, presumably waiting orders of some kind or another. But, then they began to move once more.
“I’m Commander Simmons, Prime,” his voice was booming deep and cut-throat, coming across like the edge of a weathered knife. “Looks like the Empire is first to welcome you to the Omniverse.” His Platoon finished its formation as he spoke. They took up points around the Fountain dominating it with their presence and all with their rifles aimed at one particularly fiery Ghost Operative. In total thirty-eight stared down their sights ready to fire at a moment’s notice. For a Teenager of Seventeen Sarah had on a remarkable poker face, complete with a detached aura of indifference to her current situation. The look of a killer lingered in the depths of her eyes.
I could take him out, but there’s no guarantee his boys will turn tail and run . . . besides there was also the little fact that she was in no condition to even attempt that.
A girl can dream though.
Re: The Ghost and the Fountain - Dark Link - 09-10-2014
Nothing. There was nothing but darkness as far as the senses could tell.....a place completely void of any life and matter. It was in the middle of this vast emptiness that something appeared....a chaotic cloud of arcane energies, surrounding a small orange sphere. It was a life.....weak, barely existing, like a flame that had just been lit and could be extinguished by the slightest breath. But it was there and even its tiny and insignificant presence stood out within the featureless vacuum.
The life form awoke....though the being itself could hardly tell the difference. Whether it slept or not, all it could see was vast emptiness. In the sheer absence of anything, it felt completely perplexed and clueless. Who was he? What was he? Where was he? All those questions and more went through its mind, but no answer would come. And with nothing to help it find out what they are, it could do nothing but continue to be discombobulated. The effort of thinking about this tired it out fairly quickly, so without even realising it, the life form began to rest once more.
There was no telling how much time passed as the being interchangeably slept and woke up. Hours, days, weeks.....there was no way to tell. Yet, however long it may have been, the powers surrounding the creature began to move. As if being drawn by a magnetic force, the energy began to gather where the small flame-like orb was. As more and more of it was focused in one place, it covered the sphere and an increasingly solid figure appeared in its place. It was during this process that an image appeared in the life form's mind.
Standing near a wall was a small and simple wooden cradle. The room it was in was dark, but the moonlight that was shining through the nearby window provided illumination, revealing the contents of the bassinet. Lying in it was a very young child; the infant slept peacefully as its head rested on the side, revealing small pointy ears. The life form could not understand what anything it was seeing was, particularly the baby. Who was it? What was it? Where was it? There was no response to any of this. However, the creature on the bed seemed small, fragile and helpless......the same way the being watching it felt at that moment.
Once again, the figure continued to ponder and slumber on and off as time continued to flow. Months, years, eons.....within that empty pocket of space, it made little difference. But things did continue to change. The life form was no longer only attracting the mystical powers surrounding it. Seemingly out of nowhere, bits and pieces of rainbow-coloured material appeared and began to converge at that same point. As an increasing amount was concentrated there, the figure solidified further and began to gain mass; furthermore, its appearance ceased to be black and nearly featureless and progressively became more and more detailed. As this was happening, another vision appeared inside the being's head.
In stark contrast to the previous scene, this one took place during a bright day. Standing on top of a high tower was a little girl, her blonde hair neatly gathered into bunches and her blue dress adorned with images of red hibiscus flowers. Leaning on the fence in front of her and with one of her large eyes wide open, she eagerly scanned the horizon while the seagulls flying above continued to sing their song. Once again, the life form could not make heads or tails of anything within the vision, especially the child. Who was it? What was it? Where was it? Once more, no solution to any of those presented itself. But there was one difference from before that the being was able to discern. While this creature was also somewhat small, fragile and helpless, it also seemed somewhat curious and eager to learn more about the world around it......once again, mirroring the emotions that were pervading its observer.
The pattern of thinking and dozing went on for a short while longer....but then, things changed. As the life form woke up again one time, something unexpected had appeared within the void....a blinding white light. Piercing its sight like a sharp object, the being felt a burning and painful sensation. Instinctively, it closed its eyes and raised its hands to protect itself from the harsh and unforgiving illumination. As its vision began to adapt to the new conditions, the life form was beginning to realise the difference between sleeping and being awake. When it was awake, its senses responded to outside influences. But no sooner did this bit of knowledge sink it that it began to observe its hands......yes, it had hands and complete control of them. It didn't know what they were or what the articles of clothing on them were....but it did remember the creatures in its visions having similar appendages. These were larger, stronger and were covered in leather and fabric, however.
The being turned its attention to the source of the disturbance. Situated some distance away from it was.....a figure. A different, white figure with a black silhouette marking its humanoid shape. Aside from a large grin on its face, it remained entirely featureless. The life form did not know who or what it was, but nevertheless felt compelled to examine it closer. It started walking towards the other individual......when it realised that it was actually moving and on its own accord. Glancing downwards, it saw a pair of legs. Again, it knew nothing of what they were or what the articles of clothing on them were...but it recalled once more that the creatures it saw in its mind also had legs. But its own were different in a similar fashion to his arms; they were longer, more muscular and completely covered.
Focusing once again on the only other thing within this vacuum of space, it continued to make steps towards the figure. It didn't know how it knew how to walk, but it did and it kept doing it until it finally reached its destination. It was facing the featureless existence opposite of it when a voice resonated throughout the darkness. For its part, the life form remained confused, incapable of comprehending the meaning of the other's words. Then the creature, that called itself Omni, presented something....a shining orb, covered in all the colours of the rainbow. While most of the explanation went over the perplexed being's head, it was at least able to comprehend that what the god-like entity was showing it was the substance it called Omnilium. Of course, that alone didn't really help it understand anything else about it, but at least it was a start.
But before this newfound knowledge could sink in, Omni vanished just as rapidly as he had appeared. He wasn't the only thing to vanish either; the void disappeared along with him....or, rather, it was the life form that disappeared from the void. It found itself in a different place. Instead of being surrounded by black, it was surrounded by white. Thanks to the earlier experience, the change didn't affect is as negatively as it did before and it was able to adjust to the new scenery quite rapidly. That was when it noticed a difference from where it was before....there was an object there...a fountain. Like everything before, the being had never seen anything like it; however, this time, it had the option to examine the object. Reaching out with one of its hands, it touched the edge of the structure. The surface under its fingers felt rough and cool. Having never experienced such a sensation before, it continued to stroke the surface until doing so started to feel unpleasant. That was when it leaned forward to look at the substance that was gathering inside the fountain....and for the first time, the life form was able to see its own appearance within the water's surface.
The reflection that was staring back at it with a slightly confused face was that of a boy in his late teens. Though he had the same gentle skin and pointy ears as the creatures he saw in his visions, everything else about him couldn't have been more different. His body was much taller, wider and stronger. The clothing on him was also a rather complex set compared to the simple dress the little girl from his dream wore; brown belts covered a black tunic, which covered a bronze-coloured chain shirt, which in turn covered a regular beige shirt. Black fingerless gloves and leather bracers protected his arms while a dark and long cap covered his head. Most striking of all were his red eyes, situated under his dark eyebrows and locks of grey hair; combined with his rather pale complexion, they gave him a rather unhealthy and sinister look.
Turning to his side, the boy also saw that he had a shield and a holster with a one-handed sword strapped to his back. Naturally, he did not know what those things were...though he didn't particularly care at that very moment. He was completely mesmerised by the fact that the image he was seeing was imitating his every move, so he kept staring at the reflection. However, as his sights continued to remain fixed on the clear liquid in front of him, the young adult started to feel a painful sensation in his head. He touched his forehead. The longer he continued to observe the water, the worse his condition became. The pain threatened to overwhelm him when he was interrupted by a seemingly distant voice: "Hey, is that one of those Camelot freaks?"
Rapidly turning around, the boy finally noticed another difference from the empty vacuum he resided in before......he wasn't alone. As the pain in his head subsided, he saw that white entities were standing at various points around the fountain. At first, he thought they were like Omni....but upon closer inspection, the white on them was coming from the armour they wore from head to toe. Carrying blaster rifles in their hands, their helmets with equally black eye sections were turned towards him. Blankly staring at them for a few moments, the young warrior approached the nearest one and extended his arm. At first, this alarmed the soldiers and they raised their firearms to defend themselves......but they calmed down a bit when the grey-haired stranger merely touched the protective gear of the nearest one. Unlike the fountain, the surface of this felt smooth, though still somewhat cool to the touch.
The person who's armour he was touching did not react kindly to this odd behaviour, saying: "Hey, stop that!" But since the boy did not understand what those words meant, he continued examining the gear. The soldier had enough: "I said stop it!" This time, he punctuated his words by clenching one of his fists and aiming a blow at the teenager's gut. The warrior in black found himself clutching his stomach as he once again felt a painful sensation, albeit different from the one he experienced earlier. The other soldiers aimed at him at their sights, ready for a hostile response....but no such thing occurred. Once the pain ceased, the boy simply straightened out and looked at them with a somewhat confused expression. The experience did help him start to learn what the word "stop" meant, though. He continued to stand there for a few moments when another, similar voice came from elsewhere: "Uhhh...hey, kid...."
Turning around once more, the teenager saw two people standing near the fountain. But although it was another of the white troopers that addressed him, it was the person next to him that caught the boy's attention. It was a girl roughly his age with long red hair and emerald eyes. He noted that she was a creature similar to him, though her ears were round. She wore a silver suit that was quite skin tight and revealed her figure.......which he noticed was shaped somewhat differently from his own. The young male decided to approach them. Learning his lesson the first time, he did not try touching the suit. Instead, he slowly circled around them, observing the Ghost operative from every angle. Whether or not she was unnerved by this, the human girl did not show it; her expression remained just as stone cold as before.
The commander audibly sighed, getting tired of this charade. His men had a job to do and this....freakshow was holding them up. The leader of the company addressed the grey-haired warrior again: "Listen, buddy....we only came here for her." He motioned towards the person next to him as he said this. This prompted the black clad swordsman to look at the young woman again. He began to ponder......was it a "her"? Is that why its figure was different from his?
Prime ignored his thoughtful stupor and added: "If you're looking for Camelot, it's that way." With this, he stretched out his arm and pointed with his index finger towards the east. The boy looked in the direction that was indicated. Though he saw nothing and understood nothing that the trooper was telling him, he still felt....strangely drawn to going that way. But he did not do so immediately. Facing the other two, he blinked and stared at them for a while longer, further compounding the awkward silence.
Quote:OOC: I hate to make OOC comments, but since I haven't put up a Personality section on my roster yet and we're already RPing together, I figured it would be wise to mention a few details about Dark Link:
- As you can probably guess from the text, he knows almost nothing. He's basically like an infant, having to learn a lot of things from scratch. He does know how to fight, though, even if he has no idea why. So if combat breaks out, he isn't going to just stand there and take potshots.
- He's an emotional cripple....and I mean that literally. Unless something triggers a memory or a vision, he is almost incapable of showing strong emotions. This isn't to say he doesn't have them, just that they aren't particularly strong and that he will express them in a very subdued manner (i.e. a slight smile rather than a wide grin).
- He's a mute, i.e. he doesn't talk. Obviously, though, he does think, so any mind-reading and such should work....even if it won't reveal much. =P
Re: The Ghost and the Fountain - Jak Mar - 09-10-2014
The demolition duo was making their trip back to an very familiar place. One Jak had been before, actually when he arrived. The white area made Jak wince, he wasn't completely used to the whole white area.
Daxter looked at Jak, a bit confused. "Hey Jak, buddy. Where are we?"
Jak looked at Daxter, a rather calm look on his face. "This is where I first came where I came to this "Omniverse" place.
Daxter blinked "Ya mean, this place is run by Omni himself.."
Jak nodded "Yeah... It's a long story Dax..."
Daxter sat on Jak's shoulder pad.
Jak couldn't quite place it, but he could feel his dark form sensing something... Another lifeform who had...a darkness within him. The man just stood there for a second to consider his thoughts.
Daxter waved a hand in front of Jak's face and said "Jak... Hello?! What's up..?!"
Jak shook off whatever was on his mind and looked at Daxter "Something ... else is giving me the chills..." "Some strange.. feeling.."
The wasteland warrior and ottsel took a walk closer to two other people standing near the fountain, the man becoming just a bit more angry as he moved forward. It's like his dark form was itching to get at whatever was bothering him.
Near the fountain, he and Daxter saw three figures.
Daxter neatly replied "Hey, look at that guy's ears... He looks like ya, Jak! Do you think your brothers or something?
Re: The Ghost and the Fountain - Sarah_Kerrigan - 09-12-2014
Shortly after the Company arrived, the situation devolved into a volatile mess. In addition to the assigned Target – the Teenager with Scarlet hair – there were now not one but two more unknown variables to consider. Simmons reflected for a moment, sliding his helmet down and holding it against his chest just beneath an armpit. He watched the Boy who didn’t speak nor act in any reasonable way. In fact, if questioned at a later time about his subsequent report, he may be hard pressed to explain the behavior if the Subject was not present to provide himself as evidence. Mutes were rare in the Omniverse (assuming that the boy was one) after all. Almost arrogantly presuming that Omni wouldn’t want someone that couldn’t speak in his creation.
Pondering what course of action to take, he glanced in the direction of the latest arrival. At least the Beast and Man had not approached yet, but this was not the time to take any chances. Simmons pointed, and a group of five Stormtroopers kept their blasters steadily aimed in that direction. They knelt positioning the Fountain as their cover – despite the fact they were well aware it could change shape in the blink of an eye. The fact of the matter remained; they just were not expecting a combative operation to become of this. They scouted out the locale beforehand and neither of the newest Primes were among the Ghost. Now, they just were. Omni must have been having a field day with the Summoning up in the Oververse. That or wanted to toss them about a bit.
Sarah on the other hand did not find the Boy odd in the least. It helped slightly that she could read his mind, and had done so when she realized she was no longer the lone outsider in the White. Exactly when he or the others in the distance arrived she did not know, but what worried her was she did not even notice their presence in the first place. At least for now however, she knew the fair-skinned swordsman was not a threat. Barely anything more than a curiosity. His mind nearly blank, but riddled with confusion, the lack of understanding and the awe that came with finding everything apart from himself unique. It seemed he saw the World through the eyes of a newborn. More importantly however, given his naivety, it would be rather easy to sway him to her cause – should that be necessary. For now though, she laid the groundwork.
”Yeah, I’m a ‘her’ ” the Teenager spoke telepathically to him, nodding as though to teach him the context behind the motion. This may have shocked him since he continued to stare at her – specifically her mouth – watching to see if it would shift. When it didn’t he took a step closer and extended his hand forward. She just shook her head then spoke silently again: ”Her,” she repeated gesturing to herself thereafter, ”Stop.” He lowered his hand (he knew that word) and turned back to the group in White. She took that chance to advance forward shortening the distance between herself and the Commander. 8 meters, she thought judging the distance. In a healthy state she could cover that distance in less than a second and a half. Currently that might not be possible. But, she stared at the Boy; he had weapons. A lot of good one blade will do against thirty strong. Still something was better than nothing at all.
Of them (the primes) that appeared lately in the Nexus, the pointy-eared brat was certainly one of the strangest he had come across. The way he just stared dimly with wonder and seemed to not grasp basic concepts was extraordinary actually. While his attire suggested that Camelot would suit him far better than the massive sprawling Tiers of Coruscant, Simmons could not make that decision. Orders were orders, and to put it bluntly: he needed the Girl to come with him. According to what Intel they had gathered, she carried potential that the Empire might be able to exploit given enough time. Smirking he wondered if she knew how long she rested by the Fountain. It hadn’t been a matter of hours.
“Look,” he began nearly sighing with a breath into the word. There was a pause but only a brief one to check the path of his men further on past the Fountain. “I need you to accompany me to Coruscant. I have orders to get you registered.” Kerrigan didn’t make another move, and her expression remained unchanged and stern. Despite what could be seen as irritation or an aloof persona, she kept her arms loose and free indicating an openness, and perhaps cooperation. Although if he had been keener in his observation he might have noticed where her eyes lingered: drawn upon the Sword latched to a certain Boy’s back. The Camelot freak as they may have called him yet again, if not for the intervention, peered back and forth between them – at a loss. Sarah continued to play games with Simmons’ perspective. She knew enough about body language to know how to appear passive.
Meanwhile, a few of the Company had parted from each other walking away from the Fountain as it morphed. Shaping itself again the Fountain, burrowed becoming a pool that glistened with mist. From above water fell from nowhere, cascading down and showering all with its sprinkles of droplets. The footfalls carried them closer to the last of the newcomers. They only stopped a few meters short of the approaching Prime. “He’s not a new arrival,” one reported back. “There’s record of him passing through the Nexus at least once before.” The Trooper lowered his blaster but kept his eyes on both Jak and what he considered to be some kind of rodent. “Unless you have business here, move along, Prime.” The order though direct may not have held authority, considering that most of their attention kept them divided at best. They were split from the rest. It soon wouldn’t matter anyways.
The Boy may have felt it: the slight quiver and slinking shift of steel, or he may have not. Either way, Sarah acted swiftly, and her eyes glowed lingering in deep emerald as the psionic pathway opened. The blade unsheathed, hovering momentarily in the air, and bolted piercing its trajectory forward. Only staying point just in time before slipping through the chest of Simmons. There it kept aloft, twitching with intensity. Still weary, the Teenager struggled to keep it firm, focusing the breadth of her attention on it and never once breaking eye contact. “I’m not going anywhere without insurance. All of you, lower your weapons.” Playing on the Gambit of loyalty Kerrigan hoped for two things: that they wouldn’t see through a bluff, and that they were actual required to ensure the safety of their superiors. In the Confederacy such was law, but here she had no knowledge to back the theory. The first signs of emotion plagued her visage, while sweat trailed down her forehead. One slip and I kill him. It can't come to that. she thought blankly, waiting for the Storm to break out in the White.
Re: The Ghost and the Fountain - Jak Mar - 09-14-2014
Jak's eyes suddenly turned and eyed the leader and other Stormtroopers holding a gun at both of them. Boy doesn't this bring up good memories for Jak.. He didn't care for guns being pointed in his direction, it sometimes meant a threat to him... and Daxter.
Daxter looked at Jak, who tensed up at the fact that guns were pointed at him. "Hey! HEY! Don't threaten us!"
Jak looked at Daxter and eyed him "I got this, Dax..."
Jak tried to be cautious as he was placing his hand near his weapons in case the weird stormtroopers fired on him and Dax.
As soon as Jak became less threatened, Daxter jumped at the fact the fountain changed every so often. "That...was Odd!"
Jak eyed the stormtrooper and frowned "I'll decide when I move along... I just don't go with the flow... " The dark figure in front of him kept him interested but being tangled up in somebody else's mess wasn't exactly what he wanted to do at the time.
Daxter sighed "Listen, Me and Jak aren't in the mood, all we want to do is see this other long-eared fellow...
Jak nodded as Daxter spoke, as he placed his weapon away as soon as the woman in front of these stormtroopers told everyone to place their weapons away.
Jak was curious to say the least, but if anybody would threaten him or daxter, he wouldn't hesitate on using his dark form. Things would get messy really fast then.
Re: The Ghost and the Fountain - Dark Link - 09-17-2014
What should have been a fairly standard procedure had suddenly turned into a full-blown incident. Though one could hardly tell through the large helmets they were wearing, the soldiers were all dumbstruck when, seemingly by its own power, the sword came out of its holster and pointed itself at Simmons' chest. While the commander was taken aback by this, his underlings all raised their blaster rifles. Not knowing who was responsible for the levitating weapon, some pointed their guns at its owner while others set their sights on the girl in silver. But it quickly became apparent that it was the Ghost operative that was controlling the blade, her radiant green eyes fixed upon it as she issued her demand.
For his part, the boy was just as clueless as he was before, continuing to stare at everyone and everything around him with mild bewilderment. He had sensed his sword being taken out of its sheath, but did not understand the implications of the action and thus wasn't alarmed by it. In fact, his mind was still preoccupied with what happened just a moment ago. While he had no idea how she did it, the girl was able to both read his thoughts and articulate herself in a manner that made him hear her inside his own head rather than in the outside world. More importantly, however, she was the first person since Omni that tried to help him understand things about the world around him. Even though this new knowledge resulted in even more questions, the brief moment of epiphany still made the boy feel pleased and he was grateful to her for it.
But the young woman had ceased to communicate with him and focused her attention on the weapon she was aiming at the platoon commander, leaving the warrior to once again observe what was going on around him and try to learn things on his own. Though he didn't know what the item that was taken from him was, the fact that the person that it was aimed at seemed distressed implied that it was something harmful. The girl that pointed the sword at the officer didn't look much better, however; sweat trickled down her face as she strained to maintain control over the floating object. Naturally, the boy didn't know how she was able to do that, but even he could tell that it was quite taxing.
As it turned out, it was perhaps a bit too taxing in the state that the Ghost operative was in. Having to dedicate her focus to maintaining her powers while still trying to pay attention to the thirty troopers surrounding her was, in her weakened condition, demanding even for the highly-trained assassin....which caused her to make a mistake as she didn't notice one of the guards slowly approaching her from the back. The grunt was taking slow and careful steps in order to not draw attention to himself. Once he had closed enough distance and was still sure she didn't notice his proximity, he launched into a sprint, ready to knock her down with his rifle's stock.
The black-clad teenager witnessed this; bewilderingly, he looked at the intended target. As he observed her for a few more moments, a vision appeared in his mind...a vision similar to the ones he experienced within the dark void. It was another girl, albeit older than the one he saw before. She too had blonde hair and wore a blue dress, but her hair was free flowing and her garments were longer and plainer. She also wore jewellery; large, triangularly-shaped earrings adorned her pointy ears while a red gemstone was attached to the dress just below her neck. The most noticeable thing about her was the expression on her face; she looked sad and frightened. As she opened her lips, the words that followed rang inside the boy's head:
"Help me........Please, help me....."
Once more, the swordsman did not know who that person was or what she was trying to tell him. Yet, he felt compelled to spring into action....to offer aid to someone in distress. To help the girl that helped him only moments ago. As the soldier was ready to strike, the boy reacted. Grabbing the shield on his back with his right hand, he quickly gripped the handle and swung the piece of armour with all his might. This time, it was the trooper that made a mistake, not noticing this sudden move until the steel hit him straight in the helmet. The force of the impact was strong enough that it sent the attacker a few steps back before he finally collapsed on his back.
The woman in silver was surprised by the event that suddenly occurred behind her, almost making her lose her concentration. The other guards didn't expect that either, haphazardly turning their firearms towards the other Prime. Yet the shield bearer remained unfazed; positioning himself right behind the Ghost operative, he firmly held the steel object in front of him. The mild confusion that was on his visage before gave way to focus and slight determination. He had absolutely no clue why he knew what to do....he just did. It felt natural, as if he had done this before and was going by muscle memory.
Not that a piece of metal was going to significantly change the situation as there were still thirty enemies surrounding the two. But Simmons was swearing under his breath, condemning the stunt that his man was trying to pull. While he naturally feared for his life, he was also aware that HQ would not react kindly to a potential asset getting hurt. The situation was progressively getting worse by the minute....and it was his ass that was on the line. Eyeing the blade poised at him nervously, he finally spoke out: "L...listen, there's no need for this. We're not going to harm you, I swear! We're just here to lead you to Coruscant, nothing else. So please just....just move that thing away!"
When Kerrigan didn't react to this in any meaningful way, the officer decided that conceding to her demands was the most optimal solution to the problem: "Alright, alright...I'll prove to you that we bear no ill will....I'll do as you say. Men, lower your blasters." At first, the platoon hesitated to do so. It wasn't until Simmons punctuated it with a "NOW!" did the weapons slowly go down. The pair that was standing back-to-back didn't relax yet, however. The girl still maintained the sword in its place while the boy remained ready to intercept any projectiles.
Re: The Ghost and the Fountain - Sarah_Kerrigan - 09-18-2014
The Commander of the Company in White did not so much as move another muscle; his order hung in the air with a certain tenacity and ferocity, but mostly, the strain showed on his face. His expression contorted, brows furrowed inwards – into a straight-on glare – while breathes dug deep and escaped outwards in harsh junctures. The sprinkles from the Fountain dotted his vison, and he blinked several times refocusing. The misting spray never went away. He tried desperately not to peer down at the blade that was ever so close to piercing right-through his chest. If he had, he might have noticed the quiver: the slight tremble that echoed across the Psionic Field as Sarah’s willpower slowly ebbed away, sapping her of what little strength she had since her arrival in the Omniverse, days ago. Of course to her, Time had barely flowed at all. She couldn’t have fathomed resting for longer than hour intervals. Unfortunately, all Simmons saw, only reflected in the gleam of steel.
“On the ground.” The Teenager didn’t just speak it, she sent reverberations into their minds. Her voice echoed not only aloud, but like whispers in the recesses of places men had forgotten that they could hear. Perhaps once upon a time, everyone had been linked in such a way. Now few in between had the ability to tell of things without moving their lips. All Ghosts possessed some latent capability in this regard, Sarah just happened to have it inherently. To her, Reading Minds was as natural as breathing. It was hard to shut off, even for brief periods of time. Others like her employed the use of Psi-Visors and Screens, and while she did have one equipped, she did not care much for it – that and its energy reserves were extremely low.
“You heard her. Do it.” He kept the order brief; he could have sworn that the sharpened-tip had drifted closer to him, but couldn’t be certain. He rose his free arm up and wiped the water from his eyes. Underneath his armor, sweat ran freely – attempting to cool off a man practically roasting alive from simple pressure. Telekinetic and Telepathic…these orders are starting to make more sense. Tentatively, he eyed his Troopers, and as of yet none had taken further action. They looked to their Officer with a blankness through their helmets. He arched his shoulders loosening them up a bit. Maybe they still hadn’t quite picked up on the Facts yet.
Like powerful users of the Force, this young girl could move objects and enter their minds through sheer will alone. In that respect, if not for the Draining effect that Omni seemed to apply to all new Primes, she could become either a dangerous foe, or a valuable asset. “Commander . . .” a Grunt finally spoke up in protest, just meters off to the West of the Fountain. He had his blaster lowered but made no attempt to relive himself of it. In fact he did quite the opposite, clutching it tight. Desperately, he wanted to aim his sights back on her, and keep her from killing or harming anyone here. Actually those feelings were the consensus of all the Troopers in the Nexus. Unlike her, he could not see into her mind and realize that she was barely capable of injuring one of them at the present moment. However, the Gambit had already been won in Spades.
“If this is what it takes to complete our Mission – we’ll do it: disarm!” The clinks of metal never sounded so pleasing to the ear. Almost all had laid their weapons down. The only ones that hadn’t quite yet were a bit farther off, interceding between another Prime and his Bestial Companion. There were only a few of them and the barked Commands had sparked to life into their helmets. From the get-go after all, this was supposed to be just a routine welcome. They only needed to retrieve the (then unconscious) Prime and return her to get registered in Coruscant’s records. What happened after was too far above their pay-grade too care about. But, Sarah had been awake instead.
One broke off away from both Jak and Daxter and observed with his back to them, the current situation. “The Commander is . . . improvising,” he said when he turned back. Taking a step forward he sized up the pair again. They couldn’t possible make the ordeal any worse, and if anything, complying with them would at least ensure that no one else made any threats on their lives. Many in the Company were not immortal after all. They had families and lives to get back to. “You may pass, but keep things civil. One loose cannon is enough.” The Trooper that spoke was the first to let his weapon fall to the ground. The others around him followed suit, and soon they began the short walk back to the Fountain. I didn’t sign up for this, he thought. Sarah heard him. But, like all the others also ignored it, still clinging to her only Trump Card. It would soon slip right from her grasp.
Her head throbbed, and her senses wavered – but she still lacked any proper emotion. For the next several moments, she only watched waiting for every last armament to be just out of reach of their respective owners. Thereafter, with a deep sigh of relief the Boy’s sword fell and clanked upon the White floor-span. Am…am I glad I didn’t have to kill? The answer eluded her, since she didn’t know if she had really wanted to in the first place. She told herself that she didn’t and that it couldn’t come to that. However, she wondered if some part of her had desired an all-out fire fight. This notion fled from her quickly while she looked upon her Defender: the Boy cloaked in Shadow. His attire still all Dark was a stark contrast to everything that the White contained. His oddity had made him useful – perhaps he would be so again.
It’s over, stop. she said to him, without uttering any word at all. With him so close it was easy to link and connect with him so she did so, temporarily granting him access to her own mind as well. Just as she could read his thoughts he would be able to do so with her own (at least for a short while), if he so wished. For now though, she really only cared enough to earn his trust. In the near Future she would need an ally more than anything else. Everything had changed in less Time than she could remember. Her body felt useless and weak – stunted to the point where most options had removed themselves from the equation of possibility. Thanks. I will go with them now. She mentioned nothing of him and instead let the idea trickle on and fester deep within.
“Coruscant is a few hours march from here,” Simmons noted more relaxed now that there was no longer a sword about to puncture him right-on-through. “Weapons will be left behind,” An order and a comment to keep the Teenager in check. “Move out - you will follow us now, correct?” Sarah only nodded and spoke nothing further. As the men began to gather however, the last pair of Primes arrived at the Fountain. Another man, like the Boy, with pointed ears and what appeared to be some manner of talking critter that kept close to him, he seemed interested and wary of all the Troopers, but not hostile as of yet. At this, the Commander sighed; he knew this newcomer would slow their departure. They would in fact be late: late to finish a routine assignment.
Once more it (the fountain) morphed. The mist that sprayed ever on sprinkling downwards, faded and now what took its place was simple in nature. A stone-set piece with babies that hand wings on their back holding overturned baskets. From these the Water eternal continued to flow on and on, never ceasing and quietly sifting and gurgling about in its new confines. As they had settled, and the chaos passed, it reacted taking on the form of a soothing present in a barren land of all White. Still far off in the distance, Portals shimmered – the only present Light in and endless walkway of blanketing nothingness.
Lost in a vast array of unknowns, Sarah took comfort in only one thought: I kill, maybe that is what they want from me? That seemed as likely as anything else. She knew nothing else. Why won’t this pain go away…? She blinked losing focus briefly and tilted her head as she winced. Then, she took the first step forward towards the Commander whom now only stared back face like a Rock with beads of rain upon it. It’s simple; I’ll murder for them too. And, they won’t care – they’ll reward me…. Noticing the Newcomers, she turned to watch them, already understanding that they as well were curious about the Boy. None threats. She would be patient now.
Re: The Ghost and the Fountain - Dark Link - 10-18-2014
Kerrigan told the black-clad warrior to stand down, though she didn't really need to. Once the danger had passed and the sword harmlessly fell to the ground, he strapped the shield onto his back just as instinctively as he retrieved it. The moment he did so, his focused expression was gone, giving way to the wonder and confusion he exhibited before.
Having been exposed to large quantities of information in a short span of time, the boy's mind was in overdrive as it attempted to process everything. But before he was really able to focus on the task, the shield bearer experienced an unusual sensation. Thoughts resounded in his head...thoughts that were not his own. In fact, he quickly came to realise that they belonged to the girl that addressed him just moments prior. Unlike before, however, these thoughts were not directed at him.
Once more, the grey-haired male was exposed to a flurry of phrases, their meaning unknown to him. Kill....want.....pain.....murder.....care.....reward.....his mind soaked in every part of the Ghost's internal monologue, even though the boy understood so little that it might as well have been gibberish. But before the warrior was able to make any sense of it, the company of soldiers had set up a square formation with Simmons ahead of the group, awaiting the girl the join them. Turning to look at her unexpected ally one more time, the Ghost then proceeded to walk to where the unit commander was. Not wishing to waste a moment longer, the military leader firmly yelled out: "Company, march!"
And so, with their firearms strewn about all across the floor of the Nexus, the group began its long journey towards Coruscant. Puzzled as always, the boy observed their departure. As he did so, the last words the red-haired teenager told him kept repeating in his mind. "Thanks. I will go with them now." He kept thinking about what exactly those words meant as the company increasingly distanced itself from the fountain....and though it was hard to tell, the black-clad swordsman could have sworn he saw a pair of emerald eyes glancing back.
Speaking of swords, he looked down upon the now motionless blade that the Ghost used to threaten the commander. The dark steel object stood in sharp contrast to the white environment, though not as much as the pitch black blaster rifles surrounding it. Without thinking too much about it, the grey-haired teen grabbed the weapon by its leather-wrapped handle and raised it. He still didn't know what it was...but he had an inkling as to what purpose it served. Given the dangerous situation he was in moments ago, there was a possibility that it would turn out to be useful. And it was apparently his to begin with...after all, it was strapped to his back. With that thought, he effortlessly returned the blade into the covering it belonged.
But as he sheathed the sword, the boy noticed that the two Primes that had previously only observed the incident finally approached him and he was able to take a good look at the strangers. The taller of the two was a being similar to him that even had pointy ears, though the ones on the mysterious man were much larger and more prominent. Covering his muscular build was a dark blue tunic, a simple brown kilt and bronze-coloured set of metallic armour. The various plates were held together by large leather straps, some of which were connected to a metallic ring that was positioned on his chest. He also wore a red scarf and gadget-like goggles. Most striking of all were his yellow-green hair and goatee as well as his large cerulean eyes, which were looking right back at the black-clad warrior.
Meanwhile, his companion was unlike anything the teen had ever seen. Staring at him with beady eyes and a frightened expression was...some sort of rodent-like creature with orange fur and a yellow underbelly, though it walked in a bipedal fashion . While it was naked for the most part, it too had goggles on its head, though those were simple aviator spectacles by comparison. It also wore fingerless gloves on its paws. The creature's tail wavered nervously as it finally mustered up the courage to address the male in black: "H...hi! We're Dak and Jaxter.....I-I mean, Jak and Daxter!" The weaselly life form pointed at itself and then at its companion: "T-That is to say, I'm Daxter and he's Jak!" All of a sudden, a wide, seemingly-confident grin appeared on its face and it flexed one of its arms as though it was trying to show off a bicep: "Though, I'll have you know, some call me Orange Lightning!"
The human-like of the two, Jak, remained quiet during his friend's fruitless attempt at bravado. But once they were introduced, a smirk appeared on his face and he commented: "Nice sword." Checking where the armoured man was looking, the boy noticed that his eyes were fixed on the weapon he sheathed. So that is what it was...a "nice sword". But that was the extent to which the teen payed attention to the phrase and returned to looking at the two with a puzzled expression. Unaware that he was incapable of doing so, the duo was expecting the swordsman to introduce himself. When he did not, an awkward silence ensued. This wasn't helped by the fact that the warrior then proceeded to circle around them, observing them from every angle, just like he did with the red-haired girl before.
Bewildered by this unusual behaviour, Jak and Daxter exchanged glances. Daxter in particular lost any semblance of his cocky attitude and looked noticeably uneasy again: "J-Jak...do you think this guy is...?" He followed this up by doing a circular motion with his index finger right next to his head. The green-haired human naturally understood what he meant, but said nothing. While the warrior's demeanour was certainly...odd, Jak had encountered far stranger individuals on his travels. So he felt no need to judge the swordsman based on a bit of abnormal attitude.
After thoroughly examining them, the boy stopped right in front of the two and observed them with a slightly confused expression once more, resulting in another awkward silence. When the pair did nothing, the black-clad male turned to look at the direction where the Stormtroopers went. By that point, it was difficult to tell the soldiers in white apart from the environment, especially from that distance. Wondering where "her" and the white figures went, he looked at the Primes next to him. Noticing where he was looking, Jak motioned with his head in that direction and asked: "Do you want to go with them?" Naturally, there was no vocal response to this, but the teen did turn his red eyes that way again.
He though once more about what the girl told him. "Thanks. I will go with them now." He was unable to make sense of some of the words at that time, such as "thanks" and "now". However, he noticed that people sometimes pointed at themselves when they said "I'm", which sounded similar....so when they said "I", it's possible that they were referring to themselves. Then there was the word "go", which both the girl and bearded men used. The warrior remembered that she started walking with the white figures...and the green-haired man used the word again while they were still walking. Was that "go"? The boy could not think of anything else it could be.
Then there was "them"....what was "them"? The swordsman pondered deeply about this, but could not really find an answer. But as he continued to be deep in thought, he realised something....the white figures were never called "he", "her" or "you". Was it possible that they were called "them"? So "her"...walking......yes it made sense. The girl started walking with the white figures, so it must have been the white figures who were "them". Putting all the pieces together, the result the teen got was......that "her" was going to be walking with the white figures. That must have been it, since that was precisely what happened.
With that mostly resolved, the boy thought about the question the man next to him made. "Do you want to go with them?" As he contemplated about the word "you", he came to a discovery.....when people used the phrase, it was always when they were directly interacting with someone, like how the bearded man was interacting with him. So when he said "you", he was referring to him? So if he.....go with them. The man was asking if he was going with them. But what did the word "want" mean? This, however, was something the boy could not figure out. Tried as he might, he lacked the context to understand the meaning of it. He thought about how, if the girl was there, she would be able to explain what it meant as she used it herself...
It was with that idea that the boy finally achieved an epiphany. The girl went with the white figures. So if he went with them, he could go with the girl. And if he went with the girl, she might explain to him what words like "thanks", "now" and "want" meant. So was he going with them.....yes, yes he was!
All of a sudden, the man in dark attire broke into a sprint without even knowing he could do that. Since the human and animal duo quietly observed the swordsman as he contemplated, they were naturally startled when he suddenly burst into action. The orange rodent called out to him: "Wait! You haven't told us your name yet!" But the boy wasn't paying attention to them any longer, nor did he know anything about proper etiquette. At that moment, he was focused on his goal; to catch up with the group....to catch up with "her".
Re: The Ghost and the Fountain - Miranda Frost - 10-20-2014
In his sleep, Marluxia walked upon the shattered remains of his heart and mind. While his mind slowly recovered around him, his heart did not. The pink haired man’s form phased and faded. His blue eyes observed his surrounding darkness, watching as his surroundings shift and contort, forming a memory before his eyes. His form shifted as well. He no longer wore the black coat that marked the Organization’s members, but something different. He wore a white shirt and cargo pants, and seemed thinner than he was now. He stood there in that area looking down. Marluxia’s other self did not move, did not speak, just stood there. The surroundings didn’t change much either. The floor itself resembled that of the nexus, a simple white canvas. Everything else was a contrasting blackness. Marluxia blinked,
and shifted his body to see the memory unfold.
Two men in black, both clad in a black coat, approached the pink haired male. Their movements were a curious one. No hostility was visible. The thinner one appeared to speak from behind his hood, though not a sound was heard nor made. The two men grabbed Marluxia afterwards, though neither roughly nor softly, as if they were leading him somewhere. Marluxia blinked and shifted his right hand to his hip, scowling at his incomplete memory. “Omni… What I desire most now… is my memory.” he looked down at his pocket, seeing the rainbow light radiate from it. He blinked and looked up, seeing the two men continue to stand there, as if nothing had happened. Their forms froze, ceasing all movement from them, and yet Marluxia could hear them speak.
“Ah there’s another one to add to our grocery bag. Let’s be sure to pick him up”
“Him? He seems weak”
“Hah! As if! Were you, like not a zombie when you lost your heart?”
“Hpmph. You’ve made your point. Let’s go get him”
“Hey Blossums! I have a wonderful job opening we have been looking to fill. You up to it sweet heart?”
His dream retreated into blackness once again, much like the void he traveled with Omni, or rather brought by Omni, to that white, plain place. He didn’t know how to feel about that scene, or rather why he saw it in the first place, until he realized that was his first actual memory, and those two men were the first he’d ever seen. Names didn't come with their cloaked form, but he guessed they both had an “X” somewhere in them. It seemed to be a trend with his comrades. This he could remember. Nothing more would come, but perhaps it will come with time.
The dream shattered, shaking him awake. Maybe it was just his surroundings. He no longer was beside the fountain, but inside a pool of water. Marluxia did not panic, but neither did he wait around at the bottom of the pool. He rose from it and stood, his coat and hair soaked in its water. Marluxia grunted and removed his hood, scattering a few lingering rose petals from his coat. The pink haired man glanced around the now misted area, spotting a group of white armored men and a few others walk away from the scene. Again the fountain changed, this time to a simpler one. Marluxia didn't let it hold his gaze for long. He turned his head towards the group and analyzed them. The armored men seemed to have left their weaponry in a pile, so he didn't deem them any threats. The others however seemed armed, but their demeanor told they really weren't in the mood for conflict at the moment.
Marluxia himself didn't feel in the mood for combat anyhow. He sifted through his limited options. He could leave alone or leave with them. Being in a group seemed a better option than being alone. Maybe they were even better than the organization he seemed to be no longer with. He stepped lightly around the strewn weapons across the white floor. The group seemed to move slowly, as if captive by the small group they were escorting. He assumed the group of four ahead of him more powerful than the rest. It was safe to say that Marluxia was interested, so the soaked, black cloaked Nobody re-covered his head with his hood and joined the group, though with some wary glances from the white armored men. It would seem they wanted no more trouble, so not a negative movement was made towards Marluxia. "I hope you four don't mind me following.", he stated, and nothing more afterwards. He would follow the group, even if the others declined. It was better than staying at that fountain, and certainly less boring.
Re: The Ghost and the Fountain - Jak Mar - 10-21-2014
As soon as the strange, black clad warrior dropped the sword, a loud clank made Jak wince for a second, his ears hurting a little bit more than usual. Daxter eyed Jak for a bit and proceeded to make a comment "Man, Jak..., this guy looks like he belongs in a castle, ya know." Jak frowned a bit, but nodded at Daxter. Daxter was right for a bit.
Daxter attempted to wave his hands back and forth in front of the strange short eared man as to say "H...elllo?!". As Jak kept his weapons attached to his back, he crossed his arms, seeing the one named Sarah, and the white troopers get ready to walk away, and the strange black clad guy with short ears run away from them.
Jak frowned "Well... that was a interesting encounter..." Daxter frowned "Give me a break, Jak.. this isn't our full day of whoohoos yet"
Daxter proceeded to spout out some more interesting phrases while smirking and jumping on the ground, flexing his muscles "I'm Orange Lightnin and this is my sidekick, Jak.
Jak ended up rolling his eyes, letting Daxter go ahead and spout out. Jak held his hands on one of the weapons in his hands, mostly shining in the sun, wiping off a scratch on it.
Jak looked at Daxter "Come on, Dax...we should head out ourselves." Not wanting to stand near the fountain anymore, he was going to head out when he noticed yet another stranger but he just shrugged ready to head out themselves. Jak placed his weapons back on his back and him and Daxter were heading out.
Re: The Ghost and the Fountain - Sarah_Kerrigan - 10-21-2014
Camelot’s portal faded in the East the further the Company trekked – Sarah now a part of it. Although ahead another glimmer laid in wait: the threshold that would eventually lead them all into the tiered city of Coruscant. Here, Time faltered, and gathered (drawn together by some fate) were far more individuals than had been originally suspected. No doubt in accordance to the haphazard design of Omni’s realms, simply to amuse. The dilation heighted to the point wherein not a sole Prime materialized, rather a group, three new and one old. All of the Troopers in White heard the hastened steps - the light taps of grace upon the floor of the Nexus. The Boy in all Dark arrived to join their Party. It did nothing to ease the tense March; it went on and ever on. Steps in unison echoed and their formation kept on as minutes passed. The entrance to another World linked to this one drew closer. The Gateway could be seen, though it remained a distance off.
Keeping pace with ease, Kerrigan had no trouble slipping into their ranks. The scenery stayed stagnate. The White while not immense in size, did provide an edge to everything. The blankness could be seen from leagues off and practically everyone was exposed regardless of position. Here there could be no hiding without the use of Tech or Magic. Sarah noted that the locale would be terrible for any planned operation . . . especially without the use of a Stealth-Field (what were their superiors thinking). And without the chatter among men – the silence in its own right would be close to deafening – maddening. Only boots that tread would have made noise. Most spoke of the current task, mainly about being glad when the ‘package’ was delivered. Others were imagining the splendid welcome of their families. After all, it may have been hours for them, but for those on Coruscant time could have drifted on a lot longer.
It must be nice – having that. In the Quiet, Sarah had been sifting from one mind to another just drifting between surface thoughts that were now calm and collected. Now of course without weapons they were slightly uneasy, but most figured they weren’t in immediate danger. She wouldn’t put a word to it: a home. What home she had was aboard the many Starships and with the Ghosts that served with her. Now they were also gone. There was no one here that could understand what it was like not to remember, but to remember that something is missing all the same. With each step her head throbbed more and she began to seal herself off. Relishing that in some respect – somehow – her Psionics had been diminished. Then, she noticed a familiar presence. That guy followed us – me. She turned briefly, emerald eyes shimmering and eyed him. It’ll be useful to have an ally. Momentarily, her eyes locked with the Commander. Thereafter, she walked on.
Simmons on the other hand, strode side-by-side with his charge. The threat to his life had passed and now only his Objective kept him trudging onward. His eyes scanned for the Arch that highlighted the way Home. Granted he didn’t believe there would be any more issues, he still couldn’t help but be on edge – this close to a person that almost ended his life. At the time he had thought: I’m not a Prime. He knew if he bit the dust it would be for real; the same as his troops knew that they too would not return. The plight of the Secondaries’ was well known. This job was a means to survive, and together they would do it. At the Barracks there would be a shift change and he would be rid of this monstrosity that had almost cost him everything. That pointed-steel had been way too near.
As he walked, he pondered if perhaps he had let fear cloud his judgment, and if it would had been more prudent to neutralize the subject (regardless of the actual danger to his life). He may have died, but his men would have been armed and in custody of their charge, minus the freak-show boy that followed after, and the Others that had subsequently appeared. Where the hell did they all come from . . . damn Omni and his games? And he would also have had the luxury of not explaining why he and his men were no longer equipped. They had scouted for this sole purpose, but again with OPS like this, there weren’t really any guarantees anymore. Even the guards posted at the Portal were having difficulties. A few had been killed a while back by some crazy person with a Staff. He sighed, sliding his helmet back in his place; he would at least be protected slightly despite no longer being armed.
”Stay close. There could be trouble in Coruscant.” The Teenager looked back at the Dark figure again locking her eyes with his for a few moments. With an extension of will she shifted the blade in its sheath again. However, it only vibrated gently on his back. ”You may need this next time.” She continued for several more seconds and the blade shook, quivering playfully in its holder. ”Blade. Sword. Weapon. Steel. Metal. It exists to kill.” All these words she said without moving her lips, but occasionally she did turn back while they walked. She knew by now his mind was way too blank to be natural. Something had happened that removed everything he had been, or perhaps he had never been to begin with. Either way, he needed to be stimulated if he was to be of use later. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be any more reliable than a child with his toy sword and shield.
The sword stayed.
Breaking her from her telepathic link was Simmons: “That armor – your world is advanced.” A statement that he could have made at another time, had it not been for the hostile negotiations. He nodded to himself adding another reason for this assignment. Even if that suit no longer worked – as a Prime – she could summon what she could imagine from her own universe into existence for the Empire. Then again, Omni’s explanation of how things work had hardly been enough for any Primes in the beginning. More likely than naught, she could have forgotten the breadth of the exchange; a common enough side-effect of quite literally being ripped from one existence to another. “Have you given any thought on things – other than trying to kill everyone you meet?” He chuckled in a rather perverse attempt to lighten the mood. It didn’t work.
“Confederacy schematics are classified.” She kept her gaze forward but the Newcomer diverted her attention. “There’s an Intruder behind us.” Simmons gave her a sideway stare – thinking that she meant the Boy whom he had noticed long before – but then his eyes widened, another figure had arrived. The zippers on his all black cloak gleamed and a shadowed hood shielded his visage. Although, he did speak innocently enough. Simmons grunted, shaking his head. Conflict was the last thing on his mind. Sarah ceased striding and the Company in White halted by the order of their Commander. With no one providing an answer, it finally laid bare upon Simmons to address the latest arrival.
“The Empire will not turn away potential Primes. You’re more than welcome to accompany us to Coruscant – “he took a sighing breath and blinked beneath his headgear. “Just don’t start anything. We’ve had enough action for one outing.” After saying his piece he shouted, giving the command to march once more, and the Company obeyed. When they began again the light-hearted dull-roar of chatter echoed once more about them all. “That Camelot freak seems to like you.” He gestured, but the Youth knew about whom he was referring too. To the comment she merely nodded. Afterward she swept a hand up and brushed bangs from her eyes again. Her pony-tail bounced while her entire body ached. From a simple journey, she felt like she hadn’t rested in days.
While Kerrigan hadn’t made protest, the presence of another had struck her by surprise. Sure, she was the first to become aware of the intrusion. However, it was like he had simple appeared. Shutting her eyes she tried to recall if he had been with her at the Fountain, wherein she drifted between sleep and consciousness. This did no good, for only the trickle-tap of Water could be attained. That and Omni – whatever it happened to be. Omni, she thought for the first time since the incident. That Rainbow Orb, it held power to alter the fabric of reality like her own abilities. Suddenly, she felt something in her palm. Peering down there the Rainbow Sphere glistened, swirling with intensity as though it had always been there, all-along. Omnilium, with it anything I desire…. She began to concentrate, but the strain with her current state was too much. Instead, she just held it – caressing it.
It shined and Simmons saw, but said nothing. He already knew what it contained. No need to drag up matters yet to be fully realized. Primes had to adjust on their pace; he knew that as well. After a few minutes – when he did look again – Sarah seemed to be deep in thought. In actuality, she poked gently at the barriers of the new Prime’s mind (marluxia his name) – only probing and not initially reading thought per say in the least. A test to see if he happened to be empathic or telepathic for that matter. Something that she did on every person around her – purely on instinct alone. He unlike her first ally had a more complex mind.
It certainly was not a blank slate.
Re: The Ghost and the Fountain - Dark Link - 11-15-2014
One, two, one, two, one, two...the incessant and relentless march of the company in white continued as the portal that would lead them to their home world glittered in the far distance. The soldiers were not daft; they were fully aware of the fact that every step they took, every move they made brought them closer to their desired goal. But the sheer featurelessness of the void combined with the long distance to their objective occasionally made them believe that they weren't making any progress. It was one of the reasons why the Stormtroopers hated coming to that place. The Nexus was almost like a desert; it seemed to stretch on for an eternity and played tricks with your mind.
That was, of course, if one actually bothered to think about such things....and the boy dressed in black certainly was not one of them. Having known nothing but empty pockets of space up to that point, he did not give the seemingly endless white around them a second thought. Instead, he was completely enamoured with all the new objects and creatures he had encountered, his mind racing to figure out what they were. The teenager actually liked the Nexus better than the void he was in before; at least there were things he could interact with.
However, the words the red-haired girl told him telepathically resonated in his mind and gave him something else to think about. Most of it was unintelligible to the grey-haired male...but one phrase in particular struck a cord. "Sword." He had heard that word before....in fact, he had heard it just recently. As the dark blade gradually ceased to vibrate, the boy reached out with his left hand and drew it from its sheath in order to examine it once more. This move unnerved the nearby soldiers, especially since they had reluctantly left behind their firearms at the fountain, though they said nothing. The swordsman examined his weapon of choice as the phrases the Ghost shared with him played in his mind again and again.
He recalled that the man with the green beard called it a "nice sword", yet the girl just called it a "sword"...which meant that the item he held was called a sword and "nice" meant something else. Then he thought about the other words she mentioned. "Blade. Weapon. Steel. Metal." What did they mean? The Ghost used all of them together, including "sword"....so perhaps all those words applied to that same object. But then he remembered that one of the white figures said "weapons" when referring to those long black items they were carrying. So there were various kinds of weapons, not just the one he held in his hands.
There was another phrase he had heard before......"kill". That was the second time the red-haired female conveyed the word to him...though the first time, it didn't seem to be intentional, but something she thought to herself. So the sword was meant to "kill"....but what did that mean? The white figure the sword levitated in front of before seemed distressed by the fact that it was pointed straight at him.....was he afraid of something? Was he afraid that it could "kill"? And the girl thought to herself that she killed. Did that mean that both the sword and "her" existed to "kill"?
All this thinking about the object he held in front of him finally prompted the boy to touch it with his free hand. Unlike the surface of the fountain, the blade felt smooth to the touch. Curious about how it was used, the black-clad swordsman raised the metal object and made a large swipe with it. Though he hit nothing with this action, it still resulted in the nearby Stormtroopers jumping away in a mix of surprise and fear. A lot of them were already on the edge of their nerves, feeling extremely vulnerable without their blasters, and the teenager swinging with his blade only served to make them even more tense. But most did not dare stop walking, let alone verbally protest this action, out of fear that the "freak" would end up going on a killer spree if provoked. Only one of the soldiers mustered up the courage to speak out in a rather weak manner: "P-please...do-...don't do that."
For his part, the Prime just looked at them with a perplexed expression, though he quickly came to the conclusion that they too must have been afraid, perhaps indeed of the fact that the sword could "kill". Though he still did not know what that meant, at the very least, the boy did not wish for them to be frightened. Though he made a few more swings with the blade, they were much slower and limited to a more narrow space. His hand followed the sword's momentum in a natural manner, allowing the warrior to make his movements with little effort. As he did so, the young man looked different than usual....he appeared more focused and alert, much like when he defended the red-haired girl with his shield. Once he was finished with his little experiment, he brought the brand back into an upright position in front of him. Though he didn't have the faintest clue how he knew to use the weapon, he nevertheless did......in fact, for him, it felt entirely natural. Even though it was an external object, when he held it in his hand, it still felt as though it were a natural extension of him.
Returning the item back into its sheath once more, the grey-haired warrior noticed that he was being observed by the newcomer, a somewhat sickly smile appearing from under the hood. Much like the rest of them, it too was a humanoid creature. However, it wore long black robes and its long hair was pink. Gazing back at the stranger, the teenager was once again confused. The being appeared to have a figure similar to his...yet its hair was more similar to that of "her". So was this person also a "her"?
But he did not have the chance to ponder further on this matter as the commander shouted out: "Company, halt!" Almost unanimously, the entire company came to a stop, which resulted in the teenager almost colliding with one of the soldiers in front of him. Only then did he pay attention to his surroundings again...and witnessed the grand sight in front of him. Standing tall in front of the group was a grand archway, its smooth steel frame elegantly curved. Inside it was a field of blue energy, always moving and wavering inside the arch as though it were alive. Standing on either side of the construct was a pair of Stormtroopers, quietly standing guard and observing anyone who might have been headed towards them.
While the black-clad swordsman stood there, somewhat mesmerised by the sight of the portal, the soldiers collectively breathed a sigh of relief. They were glad to have reached their destination and in one piece. Stepping forward, Simmons addressed one of the guards: "I'm Commander Simmons. As you were no doubt notified, my company is escorting these Primes to Coruscant."
Acknowledging the man's statement with a nod, the guard on the left replied: "Welcome back, commander. We've been expecting you. I know it's a long way to the fountain, but the captain was starting to get concerned because you didn't report back for so long. We were worried you might have run into someone dangerous, like that armoured freak who cut down the Gamma boys. It's good to see that everyone's alright." Pausing for a moment, he then inquired: "Ugh...sir, not that it's any of my business, but.....why are you and your company not carrying your blasters?"
Simmons sighed. He was already annoyed at the present situation and dreaded the idea of having to explain it to his superiors; he was really in no mood to share their embarrassment with the portal guards: "Like you said, it's none of your business. I have my reasons. You just do your job."
Even if one was unable to see his expression, the guard's tone clearly revealed how awkward he must have felt: "Y-Yes, sir...." Straightening out, he motioned towards the arch before stating: "The other side was already made clear for your arrival. You may enter when ready."
Nodding to the guard, Simmons turned around and loudly said: "Alright, Primes first. Step forward!" Though the grey-haired male merely observed what was going on with his usual slight bewilderment, the girl in the suit and the pink-haired stranger moved towards the commander. However, the Prime in black robes didn't stop at that and just proceeded to the portal itself with little regard for protocol. Before the commander could stop him, his body was already submerged in the field and he disappeared. Simmons brought one of his palms to his helmet....he was really going to need a drink after this colossal mess. But at least the Ghost waited patiently at his side.
He then finally turned his attention to the boy in black, motioning him to move: "Come on, you too." At first, the warrior did not respond to the man's prompts, simply observing him with his red eyes. It was only when Simmons confirmed his order with a somewhat irritated "Well, go on!" did the teenager finally realise what the commander wanted from him. Slowly, he took steps forward towards the arch, the red-haired girl escorting him. Reaching out, he touched the surface of the field with his gloved hand. Though the hand practically sank into the portal as he did so, this did not result in any pain...in fact, aside from a slight cold sensation, there didn't appear to be anything wrong with going in. The warrior turned to the Ghost, who gave him a reassuring nod. Without another word, they stepped forward towards Coruscant....and a fate unknown.